Pluto's Christmas Tree
|writer=Bill Berg Milt Schaeffer |release=November 21, 1952 |runtime=7 minutes |available=VHS CED Laserdisc DVD Blu-ray Apple TV Google Play Amazon Video Disney+}} is a Christmas-themed theatrical short starring Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and Chip 'n' Dale, produced by and originally released by on November 21, 1952. Synopsis Mickey and Pluto go out to get their Christmas tree. While out in the forest, Pluto tries to sniff one out and catches the attention of Chip and Dale, who toss one of their acorns at his rear end. Pluto gives chase after them and they hide in a nearby fir tree. To their surprise, Mickey has picked this as his Christmas tree and chops it down. Mickey and Pluto drag it home, unaware that they're bringing Chip and Dale with it. At home, Mickey and Pluto decorate the tree, inside which Chip and Dale walk around, amazed at the sight of the ornaments and lights. Dale notices Mickey hanging candy canes on the branches and sticks out a twig for Mickey to hang one, but ends up receiving a round blue ornament, to his surprise. After Mickey finishes decorating the tree, Pluto sits down to admire their work when he suddenly notices one of the lights is blinking. He sticks his nose close by and finds that Dale was messing around with it. Chip pulls Dale back in the tree, and then Dale taunts Pluto by tossing some of the ornaments at the floor, making the dog dive to catch them. Mickey comes in to put some wrapped gifts under the tree and, thinking Pluto's messing around, puts the ornaments back on the tree, unwittingly placing one of them on Dale's nose. Dale scurries up the tree with the ornament, and when Pluto tries to point it out to Mickey, Dale disappears into the tree with it before Mickey can notice. Pluto then sees that Dale has sneaked out of the tree to go take some nuts from a bowl on the table nearby, so the dog stands guard in front of the tree, preventing Dale from going back in. He chases Dale to the fireplace mantle, where the chipmunk tries to disguise himself as one of Mickey's miniature Santa candles, but Pluto sees right through him. Mickey comes back in with another present and Pluto tries to point Dale out to him, but Mickey thinks that Pluto is begging for him to light the candles. After Mickey applies the flames to them, Chip notices his pal is in trouble again, uses Pluto's tail as an elevator, extinguishes the fire on Dale's hat, and runs off with him. Pluto chases them again, during which he gets his feet caught in some of the gift boxes, and climbs on Mickey's ladder that he left by the tree. The chipmunks close up the ladder and cause Pluto to fall off of it. Furiously, Pluto jumps into the tree to attack them. Mickey runs back in to find Pluto messing up the tree and, despite his effort to pull him out, all the needles and decorations are broken and shaken off the tree. Mickey is about to punish Pluto for ruining the tree, but then suddenly notices Chip and Dale on one of the remaining branches. Although Pluto still wants to get rid of them, Mickey is willing to have them stay for Christmas. Just then, they hear singing outside and go to the nearby window, where they see Minnie, Donald, and Goofy caroling "Deck the Halls". Chip and Dale sing along with them, and then Pluto tries to do so as well, but he sounds so bad that the chipmunks slap a "Do Not Open Til Xmas" sticker on his mouth. Trivia *This was notably one of the few Disney cartoons directed by Jack Hannah in which Donald Duck is not the starring character. *This short was Minnie Mouse's last appearance in the Disney cartoon shorts' original run (and therefore her last appearance in a theatrical cartoon until Mickey's Christmas Carol over thirty years later). *A storybook adaptation, titled Donald Duck's Christmas Tree was published as part of the series in 1954. As the book's title suggests, Donald Duck appears in place of Mickey (and vice-versa) for an unexplained reason. A 1991 re-release with new illustrations also had Huey, Dewey and Louie show up at the end, in place of Minnie and Goofy's cameo. Television broadcasts and availability On television, Pluto's Christmas Tree was incorporated into the Disneyland anthology episode "Four Tales on a Mouse", and later the television specials A Disney Christmas Gift and A Disney Channel Christmas, as well as the hour-length broadcasts of Mickey's Christmas Carol. It was also featured as part of the 80th episode of the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Mickey, and later as one of the featured shorts in The Ink and Paint Club episode "Clarabelle & Horace" (despite the fact that Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar don't actually appear in the short). The short made its home video debut on the A Walt Disney Christmas VHS, CED, and Laserdisc in 1984. It was then incorporated into the 2001 compilation film Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (though for some reason, its presentation there is missing the title card). The short was later included on the Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Volume 2 DVD set in 2004, the Walt Disney Classic Cartoon Favorites, Volume 9 - Classic Holiday Stories DVD in 2005, the Walt Disney Animation Collection, Volume 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol DVD in 2009, the Mickey's Christmas Carol: 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and DVD in 2013, and the Olaf's Frozen Adventure compilation on Digital in 2017 and on Blu-ray and DVD in 2018. Edits *When shown as part of the hour-length broadcasts of Mickey's Christmas Carol, the opening shot with Mickey and Pluto heading out to get their tree was skipped over. Cast All actors were uncredited. External links * * * *[http://www.disneyshorts.org/shorts.aspx?shortID=538 ] at the Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts Category:Shorts Category:Disney Category:Released in the 1950s Category:Theatrical releases Category:Films and specials about dogs